Tactics and Distractions
by Taranova
Summary: Roy challenges Edward to a game of chess. Parental Roy/Ed, no slash.


Tactics 

The chess pieces were all lined up in their proper positions; the kings in the center, protected by a broad refuge of identical troops. Roy watched the twelve-year old Fullmetal Alchemist from across the black-and-white checkered board, fingers precariously touching each other to hide his mouth and expression. His elbows rested on the wood frame. "You know the rules, I assume?"

Ed shrugged, tongue darting out to dampen his lips. Small, light colored eyebrows shot up and down; a challenge that Roy welcomed as a sign of dexterity. Conversely it meant the lesson would be very long indeed. "Please," Ed muttered, "Compared to alchemy, this is child's play."

"Fitting when you realize you're short enough to be considered one."

Ed ignored the quip, though his face visibly darkened to a shade of cranberry. He flicked a chess piece with his index finger, and it landed with a small clatter. "Well, can I kick your ass yet, Colonel Sarcasm?" He offered a grin that stretched to both corners of his jaw.

The older man didn't reply in words. Without so much as glancing at the board, he moved a pawn forward its appropriate number of spaces; the objective wasn't to win, so he decided to humor the boy with mock difficulty and some beginner's luck. "Your turn, Elric."

"I'm aware," Ed growled. He huffed back into his chair, folded his arms across his chest, and made a tiny comment about how uncomfortable the man's office furniture was. After a second or two of contemplation, he made his move. The game continued well into the hour. Most of it was played in silence, and all of it was played with a torrent of one-sided glares.

Finally, Roy fixed the boy with a stern look, and unclasped his fingers. "If this game represented war, what would symbolize the State Alchemists?" He made no effort to be careful with his words. The question was straightforward and concise, as intended.

Ed thought for a moment in deep concentration, not taken aback in the slightest. He had been expecting an analogy like that. "Shouldn't we be the knights?" He guessed, looking to Roy for assurance. He received nothing but a blank stare, and explained hurriedly, "The Knights are unusual. They're only useful in close range attacks and they're fundamentally powerful...but only if the right person's controlling them."

"Nice addition," Roy agreed monotonously, "But you're wrong." He sighed, reaching across the board and taking all but the front row of chess pieces. He strew them on the side of the desk where they laid haphazardly like little dead soldiers. "Those don't exist, Edward."

Ed blinked, trying to comprehend what the Colonel was trying to say. "I don't understand."

"What are these called?" Roy picked up one of the remaining smaller pieces on the board.

Ed's eyes went to his lap, the white gloved fingers curled there, and back to Mustang. "Pawns, sir."

"Are you not a pawn?"

"Maybe," Ed admitted unflinchingly. "But what about the higher-ups? The ones that control the pawns?"

"Oh - yes," Roy said in a manner that implied he hadn't forgotten at all, "The King oversees all of it, doesn't he?" He placed the King in its proper place, and then smirked, folding his arms as though proud of the small army and tall figure overshadowing it. Edward frowned at it all, some dim light of awareness brightening behind his eyes.

Roy sighed. "We're all pawns, Fullmetal." He turned around in his seat and drew back the shades on the window, looking out over the compound, the empty white square, the flagpole at the far gate. It all represented one thing, and that was calculated madness under the illusion of national pride. "Notice that the chess pieces appear exactly the same. Psychologically speaking, individually speaking, that's what you'll be forced to become, Ed."

Ed was very silent. "Do we have a choice?"

"No," Roy said with a lilt of sadness and regret, wishing he could say differently. "You don't."

* * *

**Note: Fixed dialogue errors. **


End file.
